Outreach & Organizing Director

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

WHO WE ARE

We Are In (WAI) is a strategic initiative formed by a coalition of civic leaders representing housing and homelessness advocacy organizations, people with lived experience of homelessness, and philanthropic and business organizations. The focus of WAI is to bring together diverse external stakeholders to closely partner with government on advancing solutions to homelessness in King County that are racially equitable, community-driven and data-informed. Our goal is to reduce and ultimately end:

• the number of people experiencing homelessness in Seattle and King County
• racial disproportionality in who is impacted by homelessness; and
• fragmentation in our community’s response to homelessness

 

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

Black, Indigenous, and people of color disproportionately experience homelessness due to historical and systemic racism. We cannot address homelessness without addressing racism at its roots and the trauma it continues to perpetuate. We set universal goals to end homelessness and pursue targeted solutions to achieve these goals. Our racial equity work does not stop there. We are committed to building an internal culture that challenges racism within our organization.

Individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous, people of color, having lived experience with homelessness, and/or LGBTQ are strongly encouraged to apply. Further, in our effort to conduct an inclusive search for qualified candidates, this position does not require an advanced degree. Educational attainment will be considered along with other experience.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Outreach & Organizing Director you will...

• Ground your work in racial equity and social justice- this means, using an anti-oppression/anti-racist lens to all facets of organizing, content creation, and engagement
• Acquire and maintain a detailed knowledge of We Are In’s policies, principles, and strategies, and keep up-to-date with relevant developments
• Build a long-term and sustainable political movement across King County
• Establish an organizing and advocacy field program for WAI; maintaining lists of volunteers across Seattle/King County and engaging volunteers to advocate for WAI’s policy platform
• Develop WAI volunteers into activists on the local, state, and federal levels to end homelessness and build more affordable homes
• Eventually hire, manage, and train a field team through in-house hires or a firm
• Assist the Managing Director of External Affairs, Managing Director of Policy, and the Executive Director with coalition outreach and management, working with funding organizations, partner advocacy groups, and the Lived Experience Coalition to organize support for WAI’s programs and agenda
• Develop strong relationships with elected officials, government staff, and external partners to advance WAI’s goals and mission
• Work with the Managing Director of External Affairs and communications consultants to manage the existing list of WAI members and begin converting members into volunteers
• Create standards for data evaluation of the organizing/field program
• Grow WAI’s network of supporters and volunteers through various tactics, including 1:1 meetings, phone calls, and texting
• Assist with occasional in-person events and meetings as needed
• Develop and foster a close working relationship with community leaders and partner organizations using clear, effective, and personable email communication

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCES

Anti-racism

• Proven experience centering the voices of people and groups often underserved and underrepresented, namely people with lived experience in homelessness
• Be personally committed to racial equity, anti-racism, and personal growth
• Have direct experience working with historically marginalized communities

 

Project & time management

• Strong project/task management and organizational skills
• Ability to organize a daily workload by priorities
• Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment
• A proactive approach to problem-solving with strong decision-making skills
• Plus for candidates with facilitation experience and skilled in developing meeting agendas

• Ability to be self-directed, take ownership, and see projects to completion in a timely manner

 

Culture / work environment

• Ability to work well within a cross-functional team environment and ability to receive and synthesize feedback from multiple audiences in a collaborative manner

• Experience working in collective impact environments involving multiple stakeholders and navigating complex bureaucracies

• Be enthusiastic for our mission and a desire to help us achieve our goals

 

Technical

• Well-versed in Microsoft Office Suite (esp. Outlook, Word, PowerPoint), Google’s G-suite, and organizational platforms / systems such as Slack, Calendly, Evernote, Hootsuite, Salesforce, Zuora, etc.

 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

This is a full-time salaried position requiring a willingness to work some evenings and weekends and occasional travel. The expected annual salary is $110,000. This position can be fully remote on a day-to-day basis (within Washington state), with some occasional in-person events and meetings. We Are In is physically housed in the Building Changes office space at the Pacific Tower Building, in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, and will be eligible for the benefits of BC staff. This includes excellent health, time off, retirement and other benefits. Medical and dental insurance are offered through Kaiser Permanente.